Pigeons or barn owls are very intelligent and adorable birds. However, since ancient times in Vietnam, they have been considered evil because if a pig screams at the gable of a house, someone in that house is about to die.

When an owl hoots at 7 o’clock, death applies to men and 9 o’clock to death for women.

It is also rumored that when a person is about to die, a characteristic smell will be emitted and the pig bird, with its sharp hearing, detected and gave the signal. Because of this concept, when the sounds of birds and pigs scream loudly in a quiet night, it always creates a creepy feeling.

Even the sounds of birds and pigs at night will make the whole village talk about someone’s impending death, then people will compete with each other to guess old or new. Because this bird is considered a bad omen, the pig bird is hated, chased away, and even killed.

From the above analysis, the question “are pig birds really scary?” has been denied by experts. Experts provide more evidence to prove this statement: ” Pigeons are not only not scary but are also useful birds for agriculture. According to documents, each year the Gray-backed Owl (Tyto alba) can destroy from 300 to 400 rats that destroy crops.

As for doctor Vu The Khanh, although he admitted that the cry of the pig bird was related to the dead person, he also believed that the pig bird should not be “blamed” entirely. “Because in reality, even if the birds and pigs don’t cry, people will still die. Pig birds should only be considered as alarm bells, just like when the rooster crows and it’s morning or the ants haven’t flown out of the nest yet, it’s still raining and there are dragonflies. If you don’t fly high, it will still be sunny…” Mr. Khanh said.

Thus, the cry of the pig bird is absolutely not mystical, spiritual or only brings bad luck. However, “believing or not believing in something depends on each person’s perspective. Believing that the pig bird portends death is considered the same as believing that the cry of the pig bird is a sign that the house will be safe. There are tourists and animals around the world predicting the results of football matches in the Wold Cup…” , commented the expert.

Their favorite food is mice and some insects. When they can’t hunt mice, they eat lizards and some other birds. Barn owls are birds of prey, active mainly at night, often living in pairs or alone and do not migrate.

These animals may seem slow, calm and mysterious, but they are actually assassins, with speeds like the wind and claws as sharp as knives. In the pitch black darkness, its sharp eyes did not miss a single small mouse running a hundred meters away.

The barn owl family is one of two families of animals belonging to the owl order . Some species found in Vietnam are often called pig birds because their calls resemble those of pigs. Barn owls are medium to large sized owls with large heads and strong legs with sharp talons. Their unique feature is their flat, heart-shaped face, made of feathers. These feathers also help determine location and amplify sounds when hunting.

The feathers on barn owl wings also have a special structure so they do not make noise when flying, helping them hear more clearly and avoid being detected by prey. Barn owls have a gray to brown back and a paler chest and abdomen, which may be spotted

Wild boar owls are usually smaller and their facial discs are not heart-shaped but divided into 3 parts, and their ears are covered with feathers. Barn owls are quite widely distributed. They can live in deserts, forests, and in temperate and tropical climates. Barn owls are found everywhere except North America, the Sahara Desert and parts of Asia.

In Vietnam, there are 3 species of barn owl including gray-backed barn owl (Tyto alba stertens), eastern barn owl (Phodilus badius saturatus) and brown-backed barn owl (Tyto longimembris). Grey-backed barn owls and brown-backed barn owls are classified as natural enemies of mice (main food is mice), and are strictly prohibited from being exploited from the wild.

The wild boar owl is included in the Vietnam Red Book (danger level T – threatened). This species has aesthetic, scientific value and is a valuable genetic resource. Although the wild boar owl has a wide distribution area, the number of individuals is still small and rare. It is currently unknown how many individuals remain in the wild.

Although the pig bird is a natural enemy and very valuable, because of superstition, we are discriminating against this bird. In Vietnamese slang, “pig bird” refers to bad people who are sneaky like owls and dig up dirt on others.

The word “pig bird” is also used to refer to people doing illegal business and smuggling. That unfair labeling makes conservation of this animal even more difficult. All over the world, people consider this bird to be uniquely beautiful and loved by many people. They have very funny heart-shaped faces. The smooth fur has many beautiful patterns.

Some pictures of the pig bird – the “god of death” bird according to ancient Vietnamese beliefs: